Peugeot 308

Look is decent and the drive is decent. But reliability of these Peugeots is atrocious. In the five years we owned the car we had it in the workshop at least once every year. We needed to have it towed four times over the last couple years. In the end -- despite meticulous (and expensive) servicing at a Peugeot dealer -- we suffered a catastrophic… Read more

engine damage at 160,000km. A second-hand engine was quoted by the Peugeot workshop at $8k , which was about as much as the car would have been worth. But not before we shelled out another $1.5k in repairs (the damage had already been done to the cylinder) that was meant to fix the issue but merely prolonged the life of the car by a couple weeks. Would never buy a Peugeot again. Disappointed by the car and Peugeot service.

Best little car i've owned – I use the car a few times a week, most reliable vehicle ive ever owned & im 60 so prob owned about 15 cars. Solid road holding & quiet. As with any car its important to get your servicing done. Ive had it 7 years & its never once had an issue or had a fault, just normal service requirements & 1 turbo hose. Id have to question those with issues as there are a lot of people that simply run cars to death without getting services done Show details

308 HDI wagon 2010 – handles really well, fuel economy is so so good. Bought it with 80k on the speedo and now after 5 years has 202,000klms. We have it servied everydue time and it goes so well. We love our wagon, even towed a small Jayco van with it for a while.. Ours is the 1.6hdi 6 speed manual. Love French cars, I have now owned 5 different Renaults, 2 Citroens, and 5 Peugeots since 1973, and this 308 would be the best of them all. Show details

Worst decision of my life was to buy this lemon – Used this car for person use. Not an aggressive driver. I experienced over priced servicing, problems with the car from the beginning, when I raised the loud pinging sound I was told that it was me, after a year, I got a salesman to drive and hear it and he spoke to the service team. They charged me for testing the car then realised there was a… Read more

manufacturing recall in place. The service at Peugeot was over priced, long and unprofessional. I paid a lot for the Peugeot mechanics to switch the sensors around rather than figure out the problem. The car when set on cruise control, without warning dropped to 90km on the freeway. Peugeot never identified the issue - they switched the sensors around. I would randomly have engine failure. Most recently, the car started chewing up oil, lacked power. I limped it into a dealer and thankfully got rid of it. Would never recommend the car. Peugeot Australia were appalling. Do not expect good service or understanding. Not a single mechanic had anything good to say about it. I will never buy or recommend Peugeot again.

Worst car ever – Bought a 2016 model from a dealer few months ago. Car couldn’t accelerate one month later. Took the car to a local Peugeot specialist and changed all spark plugs and paid $400. That didn’t solve the problem and being advised to take my car to a local dealer as they have a special scanning tool. Dealer told me carbon deposits need to be removed… Read more

since that is the only reason why the car doesn’t accelerate. It is unbelievable that I need to pay $2800 for it and it is a 4 years old car with only 50k kms. 3 month later I could always hear some metal rattling noise when accelerating. Paid $600 to repair the rear strut mount. Again it is a 4 years old car with only 50k. My 30 years old lander rover 110 would do much better than this. Rattling noise is still there and dealer suggested to replace the rear axle and I have to pay for it as it is just out of warranty. I could only say this is the worst car ever and I have to sell this car at a ridiculously low price. I lost more than $6500 after sold this car... never buy a Peugeot!!!

Great car! IF it was serviced PROPERLY it would be PERFECT! – I have had the 308 SW since 2014, bought it new. It's been a great car and is very nice to drive. So far I have done 95,000kms. It did take a couple of months to get used to the touch screen and the cruise control. But once you do, you don't need to take your eyes off the road as it does have auto wipers, auto lights, auto handbrake, auto air. … Read more

Saying that one of the big let downs with my car is the air conditioning which did not work when the outside temperature is over 25C. On a previous service at Bayside European they said it had a hole in the condenser and replaced it under warranty after a long wait. A year later and it's still woeful. If it's over 30C outside, it really feels like it in the car!

The only other issue is a leak with the washer fluid, which is not that easy to get to! I tried a different service centre and they didn't even pick up the problem even though they charged me for washer fluid! I never know if they actually do anything when I get my car serviced. In Dandenong they left it with a leaking Oil filter, which I had to pay to fix. They claim the gasket had blown! This was not long after a Service!

The navigation system isn't that great compared to using Maps on the iPhone. I wish I had CarPlay so many times. The best thing about the car are the seats do fold flat and I get so much in my car. Unlike all the other wagons I looked at. Also the turbo diesel is very quick off the mark at the lights!

One other issue I had a warning light that was on and I had to book it into service to find out that the battery needed to be replaced. I should have know as it was 4 years old. The dealer should have known also but then they asked $800 to replace a battery. I had it replaced for half that by Marshall batteries who came to my home and spent an hour taking it all apart to get the battery out. Not an easy job! The dealer also charged $25 just to change the washer fluid cap, which was falling apart and they didn't even pick that up in two years of servicing my car.

Would I buy another 308? I was waiting to see if the 308 will be updated. Looks like the new model is arriving in either late 21, or 2022! I hope some of these issues are fixed. Especially the air-conditioning! The main problem with owning a Peugeot is finding a good service centre!

Edit February 2020 After contacting Peugeot and the dealer service Centre I was advised my Aircon had the same issue as in 2018! Apparently although I was told the condenser was replaced there was no record of this! The good news it has now been replaced under warranty and now works perfectly! The AdBlue Tank has also been replaced according to my invoice. Because of bad pressure again under warranty with a $400 charge for labour. The car is now running perfectly fine!

Edit September 2021 Major Service which cost a bomb @ $1300 Had to return the car twice! First time diesel fuel leak all over the engine and garage floor! Second time Water Pump leak and again in the same spot on the garage floor. Was charged a ridiculous $1600 to repair!

Just a note before I dropped my car off for the last major service everything was running fine! No issues at all! As soon as I got in back problems started!

Great customer support – Our 2015 Peugeot 308 suffered a premature deterioration of the engine camshaft timing belt. Car has 50,00km, is over 4 years old and out of warranty. Peugeot covered both labour and parts for a sizeable repair job as a goodwill gesture. Great customer support! Much appreciated. Show details

Quality Car with Comfort and Style – The T9 308 is a return to form for Peugeot. Ours is 5 years old and rock solid. It's got every feature under the sun (blindspot monitor, active cruise, speed sign recognition, front and rear sensors/camera and the list goes on). The best seats you will ever find in a small hatch and the genius i-cockpit and small steering wheel. Yes it costs more… Read more

to service, BUT it only needs to be done once per year and is an exceptionally reliable, comfortable car. You just don't find this sort of quality in the Japanese or Korean makes around the same price. Peugeot has a very exciting future ahead with the quality cars they are now bringing out.

Unreliable car, very poor customer service! – I bought my brand new 308 Allure Premium in 2015. Thats a beautiful car but its not reliable at all! The engine light is on most of the time and Peugeot service center dont have enough knowledge and experience to fix it! Where ever you take your car for service, make sure you dont go to Bayside European Peugeot Service. Not only they dont know how to repair the car, but also they dont have good manner at the front desk! Show details

Don't buy a Peugeot – I have owned a Peugeot 308 for just over 3 years and it randomly broke down with the alternator belt snapping. This was caused by a part that was under recall for and had been booked in for this recall. The car was towed to a Peugeot dealer in Perth WA and after 6 weeks the alternator belt finally arrived from France. Further work was then … Read more

required to fix the cause of the alternator belt breaking. It has since taken 5 months for this repair to be done at a cost of $8000 to us as Peugeot are not prepared to take the blame despite the young age of the car and the cause being due to a recalled part. The communication and customer service from Peugeot has been the worst I have experienced with any company and I am seriously considering taking this matter further. This has had a huge impact on me being without a car for 5 month, and now having to try and come up with the money for the repair cost. If I had looked at the websites for feedback more prior to purchasing this vehicle I never would have as many other people appear to have had similar experiences. DO NOT BUY A Peugeot.

Dont even think about it – We bought second hand from the first owner. Weve had to fix almost everything on this vehicle. Weve had it serviced regularly. Driven every day for family school runs etc. Great to drive but will cost you a fortune to have serviced and for parts. Look at any other vehicle. Show details

Please do not buy – Like another poster, I have had my 308 for the last 3 years as a fleet car. I have suffered from constant issues very similar to Mooshie. Constant ignition and spark plug problems. Massive oil leakage problems and various other niggles too multiple to list. The engine light remains on constantly, I have to ignore it now or I would never get any… Read more

work done as I would need to live at the dealership. If it were my money I would have hired a lawyer to get a refund by now. As I said this is a fleet car so I know many people who drive the 308 and all have the same issues so don’t kid yourself and think I just got a Lemon, it’s endemic across the brand.Do not spend your money on this car.

Most Unreliable Car Ever – Peugeots look nice & have a functional interior but that accounts for nothing if it breaks down every 5 seconds. This is the worst, most unreliable car I've ever had the misfortune of owning. Let my experience be a warning for others - DO NOT buy a Peugeot. Buy a reliable Japanese or Korean car instead. In the last 9 months my 2011 petrol… Read more

wagon with 75,000kms has had the following issues:

- Oil Filter mounting Leak (spewing oil)

- Thermostat housing Leak (spewing coolant)

- Coolant level sensor replaced

- Oil pressure sensor replaced

- Cylinder head cover replaced

- Window washer pump replaced (done twice)

- High Pressure Fuel pump replaced

- ECU update (part of a recall)

- Engine Oil Pump Solenoid replaced

(part of a recall)

- Turbo intake pipe replaced

- Intake Valves bead blasted

- Spark plugs replaced x 2

- Oil pump replaced

- Low boost requiring a new turbo (a $5k repair!!!)

If you're thinking of buying a Peugeot - my advice is DONT!

Great reliability & fuel efficiency, fantastic rear layout – Have had for 8 years from new. Commute (on a freeway) every day. Approaching 110,000 kms. Cannot overstate how useful rear layout in wagon (not just fold-down but completely removable seats) has turned out to be. Mechanically, have had only trivial issues -- note that this is a manual diesel, not a Petrol & has been mostly freeway commuting.… Read more

Overall extremely happy with reliability.

Peugeot says to service every 6mo/10,000km but apart from first 2 years I've been doing every 9-12mo.

Mechanical Issues:

- Center console LCD fades & is unreadable when temp goes above ~35 degrees.

- Battery eventually died last month (I guess 8 years was a pretty good run). DIN66 spec batteries (diesels draw more current on startup) can be found but you have to go looking or your repco/supercheap will just sell you a (lower-specced) DIN65. Also changing the battery on a diesel requires removing the air intake housing to get to it (!!)

- Glass roof seal had an annoying squeak when you would go over a bump (when new; eventually went away by itself)

- One of the electric windows squeaks when going up.

Pros:

+ Removable rear seats creates *huge* boot space when you need it. This is my favourite thing about this car. (The second generation 308 got rid of this so was a step backwards in my opinion).

+ Fuel efficient (Did Melb->Sydney on one (60l) tank).

+ Reliable (so far)

+ Glass roof makes car feel light & airy.

+ Small(ish) car that still easily accomodates tall drivers (Golf was the only other car in this class that would fit me)

Cons:

- The Touring is just a stretched 308 hatchback. The rear seats are not exactly spacious -- they're fine for kids but legroom for adults is dependent on how far back the front seats have been set.

- A little niggle: half-baked left/right hand drive conversion (eg glovebox is half taken up by fusebox while the driver's side has a mostly useless shelf where the fusebox should have been, volume knob for radio controls is closer to the passenger instead of driver, bonnet release is on the passenger side)

- Servicing costs have been mid range but certainly aren't cheap (esp brake wear & replacement cost is as bad as my old VW and is double my wife's Toyota)

- Is a car of its era: No conveniences that are now standard (eg rear sensors but no rear camera, no CarPlay/Android Auto and big screen display, no Bluetooth)

- Auto windscreen wipers are overly aggressive in light drizzle -- it will keep trying to wipe an almost-dry windshield and has to be disabled.

- Leather on steering wheel is quite thin and prone to wear

- I have had to become very proficient at replacing headlight globes (I suspect because automatic headlight activation = another on/off cycle every time it enters/leaves the garage).

Awesome – Good car with the lightweight body and cool trim and good on fuel about 6ltr/100kmh. Value for money! The only downside, it needs RON 95 min and synthetic engine fuel which is slightly higher when comes to servicing but with an interval of 15,000 km that is justified. Good car!  Show details

Shocking examples of a poorly built car – Where do I begin?... We have these as our fleet vehicles and I have used 3 different ones over the course of 3 years with one driven the most at 80000km on the clock and around 40000 on the other 2. The little issues first- Rear subframe clunk which was filled with expanding foam (I am not kidding) at the dealer as the solution on… Read more

instruction from Peugeot.

Rear subframe clunk on car 2 just becoming apparent now

Cat converter replaced at 9000km

Multiple electrical faults including non starting, head unit (which controls everything) not working and faulty oil light among other things. Between all cars 5x trips to be fixed.

Massive front end shudder at higher speed- never actually solved despite new tyres, wheel alignment X2 and 3 trips to dealer. It just slowly got better!

Huge oil leak from cam seals at 60000kms

Turbo piping leak

Spark plug failure x4 (separate occasions) note that they are a unique plug you can't even check with a normal socket. Very common issue in this car caused by carbon buildup.

Brake squeal at LOW speeds and not while braking. 4x trips to the dealer to fix.

Gearbox control unit replaced as car was not selecting gear properly.

Now the big issues!

Car 1 head had to be removed and replaced- 3 weeks off the road due to parts availability from Peugeot

Car 1 broke down again just 5000km later with no brakes (yep that was scary!) And engine fault. Still waiting on cause of that issue

Car 2 engine replaced yep, replaced. At 35000km due to multiple faults

Car 3 massive clunking, check engine and total power loss, waiting to find out what that issue is.!

I have lost count of how many times I have had to take these cars to be fixed. Peugeot just don't care, I am lucky these are fleet cars and I don't have to deal with it but if they were personal vehicles I would be demanding a refund.

In the fleet of around 20 vehicles we have, all 308s there has been 3 engine replacements- not fixes.... Replacements! It's horrifying that a company can get away with this

Bad parts – Local driving Used daily to and from work Serviced on time Cared for diligently Pump and oxygen upstream has broken at only 50,000 kms Quote did not include parts and labour 2650 to fix which is very expensive No reason provided for the fault Very disappointed as I have owned 3 Lexus with no problems up to 200000 kms  Show details

Love the pug – This is my 3rd Peugeot car. This time I bought a diesel 308. Fantastic fuel for long distance although I usually use it around town. Still good and you can put it on the eco use so the engine stops at the lights. I only need to service the car once a year which is why I love Peugeot and solid European car cheaper the others.  Show details

So many features, great look and nice drive – I drive approximately 80-100kms every day to and from work and it's a great car. Super quick, smooth and fun to drive. So many features including massage seats, heated seats, keyless entry and start. Adaptive cruise is helpful and works well, leather seats are really comfortable and the panoramic roof gives a lot of light. Haven't had any issues… Read more

and purchased second hand. Only reason it's 4 and not 5 star is how high the fuel consumption is and how sensitive the rain sensor wipers are. The car costs me $90 a week to fill up with 98unleaded and the wipers go pretty fast at the slightest bit of rain.

Summer Time – Great car drove from Switzerland to Germany on the motorways Super !! one main issue I burnt my index finger when starting the car on pressing the silver start button. the sunshine is so strong shining throught the side and front window that the silver start button gets very hot ! . Motivation idea where should the start button be ?  Show details

Poor Quality and dreadful support from Peugeot – For about the first year, the car seemed OK, but there was always a constant hesitation that occurs intermittently. Over 15 instances of reporting the intermittent issue still has no resolution. This vehicle has had 3 timing chain repairs, 2 BPGA units replaced, 2 engine decarbs (within 4,000kms of each other), a fuel pump failure and a complete… Read more

failure of all the central control items like GPS, Radio, CD, heating/cooling and that took 6 weeks to get the parts in. A number of other minor recall issues as well, but I can live with minor issues, any car can have those.

Calls to Peugeot directly just result in comments like, you don't seem to have had any unusual problems with the car, despite over 15 documented service records indicating it has gone in with a reported problem. And this is a vehicle that is less than 4 years old with just under 60k on it. All of the above failures occurred within 3 years, and at less than 45k, so I think any reasonable person would consider that a problem, but not Peugeot.

Seeing some of the other reviews here, and the complete lack of responsibility or care that Peugeot shows for their customers, it almost warrants a class action to force them to compensate consumers who have been caught out paying some $40k for vehicles that do not serve the basic purpose of safe and reliable transport from point A to point B.

After the latest issue and repair, I didn't even get home before warning lights started showing up again. I suppose it is an improvement over the time when I didn't even get out of the service centre driveway before the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree, but if I ask Peugeot, they'd probably again say that it is nothing unusual.

Based on the communications with Peugeot by phone, my issues are not unusual, and considered within normal parameters, so that in itself indicates that their vehicles are of extremely poor quality, and the quality of service and assistance Peugeot provide matches the quality of vehicle they provide, ROTTEN.

Excellent Car – I bought this car following a severe motor accident involving a leg amputation, and extensive injuries down one side of my body. I had always driven manual cars but now needed an automatic. I had several requirements: I needed to easily enter the car from a wheelchair; the boot needed to accommodate the wheelchair flat but still have room for… Read more

more luggage. The front seats needed to be especially supportive and comfortable. I preferred a small medium hatchback.

The 308 met all my requirements and more. It has been a delightful drive. It is quiet and smooth. It handles beautifully and has more than enough power from its triple cylinder engine which burbles delightfully when pushed. Fuel consumption on a trip has come in at 5l/100km or less. In city driving this jumps to 6.7l/100km. Still good.

One thing that I didn't expect is the less 'frenetic' feel it has than its rivals such as VW, Corolla, Hyundai etc. all of which I drove. Perhaps it is that the triple doesn't sound as if is revving as much as the fours.

The interior is clean, functional and dominated by Peugeot.'s Cockpit that consists of a small steering wheel you look over rather through to see instruments. It works for me. The rest of the interior is clean, simple and trimmed with quality materials.

The car has been perfect from a service point of view. There have been no problems at all. Costs are reasonable. Good fuel economy is counterbalanced a little by the need for premium grade.

In my opinion the 308 is an underrated car. The selling dealer tells me many are put off by the triple and baulk at a test drive. What a mistake.

Looking Cooling – The car is really cool looking when its convertible and it is easy to open and close the cover. However, the downside of it is that the carriage is a bit narrow especially the back seats. The car truck is smaller than the usual car as part if it used to store the cover.  Show details

The pick of the Peugeot’s....308 turbo Diesel – Hi I have owned this 7 seater for last 2 years, bought with 105000km, currently got 165000km.... All I can say is what delight to drive..when I first started looking for a 7 seater I couldn’t find anything that had good fuel ecconomy, then I came across Peogeot 308 2.0 diesel, this has been nothing but so economical and powerful that I drive all… Read more

the time, on long trips I can get 1000k which is around 5.5l/100km.

Mechanically has no issues, services are easy enough every 8000k, fuel filter, Oil filter are all easy to get to under the hood, I do most services, but please give to a mechanic who has half a brain and you should be fine...

Could somethings be better...

Yes the glove box is small and yes batteries don’t don’t last forever, but by doing little thinks like changing all interior light to LED and some of the driving light, no issues with changing batteries anymore.

Did I take a risk buying a Peugeot yes I did because most reviews tell you they are terrible...well not in my experience...just give the respect it deserves and you will hopefully have a reliable economical car for many years to come..

Luv my car – This has been, such a lovely economical, easy handling car to drive. To date I have had no problems with it. It has enough style,but also is practical. A lovely little car to tour in. It also has that bit off oomph when you need to get out of a sticky situation (by that I don't mean police chases), more getting up big hills etc.  Show details

Don’t buy a 2012 308 – I bought a 2012 308, looked great but what a costly mistake, I used to love peugeot, but not anymore, biggest lemon ever! The timing belt needed to be replaced at 92 000 k, had already been replaced, the front end rattled at 101 000, oil leaks at 98 000, peugeot would not cover oil leak. Was still under 5 year warranty, not happy! Don’t buy one, keep looking.  Show details

Not well thought-out – Poor design makes this an unreliable car. Too many sensor failures and un-diagnosable faults. The check engine light never went out despite four reputable workshops having a go. Carbon build-up on inlet valve stems a major problem, leaking oil supply and return pipes from the turbo and failure of complete timing chain assembly were some of the… Read more

hazards. All at less than 100,000 km. Combing the "Web" suggested much worse was to come so it's gone.

Always used way more petrol than it should have, but very comfortable on trips.

Reliable little wagon – Purchased our vehicle with 50000kms on the clock. We’ve now done 140,000km with no mechanical problems (fingers crossed). Ours is the 7 seater and has proven to be a versatile family wagon. We have 3 kids and the car proved to be one of the few that could fit 3 car seats across the back seat, by virtue of the fact that each seat is individual… Read more

and exactly the same size. Last 2 seats are for small kids only, ie under 12, ideally in the 7-8 yo range. As a 6foot adult, the last row is impossible to access.

One gripe is the rain sensing wipers need to be turned on each time you start the car. Also, rear wiper needs to be turned off and then on again each time you start the engine.

Driving experience is good with excellent fuel economy. Handles nicely.

Brakes have a very short lifespan (50,000km) and expensive to replace.

Mag wheels have locknuts which are impossible to remove with the car jack adaptor provided.I had them replaced out as I didn’t want to be stranded with a flat tyre.

Peugeot dealerships have been atrocious with aftersales servicing (in Albury and Canberra) so I now go to a specialist, private mechanic in Canberra.

In short, a good reliable family (small kids) car with some (annoying) quirks.

Don't rely on Peugeot to fix problems – An unreliable model, provided by an unreliable car company. Lovely to drive and would like to upgrade to a newer Peugeot, but will go back to a reliable Jap car. Our mechanic attempted to fix one problem but Peugeot sent the wrong part, then sent a part that our mechanic needed to modify but Peugeot never bothered to tell him this, nor how to… Read more

do it. In the garage for two weeks awaiting Peugeot to do their job properly. The part didn't work properly of course. Immediately after that, the STOP light, airbag warning light and seatbelt warning lights came on intermittently. Mechanic took it to Peugeot for assessment. A receipt from that $472 episode check shows Peugeot said everything was perfect. Eight months on the signs still come on as often as every 300 metres.

Expensive upkeep – The driving experience is good. The panoramic sunroof was beautiful. There was lots of legroom and extra 2 seats would be useful for carpooling. The running costs! As soon as we bought it we took it in for a service, as my husband's habit. Because it was a Peugeot the mechanic charged $200 for a small car part because it had a little light that… Read more

said it had an environmental warning for emissions. The week later found the same problem was not fixed. Took it back. Another $200. In 2 weeks of owning it it has cost us $400 in car parts for a little flashing light!

Dont know if we just bought a lemon. I think brand new it would be OK. But for a 8 year old car, I guess some repairs are expected and that's the difference between getting a common Toyota (our other car) vs a snazzy European car... the 20 year old Toyota hasn't cost us that much in spare parts! Next time we're getting a common Holden, Ford or Toyota with lots of car parts!

Simply love it! – Quiet, supple suspension, well put together, fabulous engine with what should be a reliable automatic transmission. Averaging less than 5L/100 over 35,000 kms, mainly county driving with economy in mind. Quality interior, no rattles and comfortable seats. Servicing is not cheap though and the clean design interior requires HVAC, phone and audio adjustments via the central touch pad.  Show details